Paralympic Gold Medalist Mariyappan Thangavelu has been recommended for India’s highest sporting honor, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2020 along with ace cricketer Rohit Sharma, Asian Games Gold Medal winning woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat and Commonwealth Games Gold Medal winning Table Tennis player Manika Batra.
The National Sports Award Selection Committee announced the names for the Khel Ratna Award 2020 on Tuesday. This is the second time since 2016 that four names have been recommended for the honor. Mariappan Thangavelu lifted India’s name high when he jumped 1.89 meters and won the Rio Paralympics’ High-Jump event in 2016. Entire Tamil Nadu felt proud of this gem who was from the rags and raised by a single-mother.